State Records of South Australia
MANAGING ELECTRONIC RECORDS ISSUES

A discussion paper
April 1998

part of access.sa
dais DEPARTMENT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND INFORMATION SERVICES

Contents

Executive summary
Introduction
Making comment: contact addresses
The context

Legislative framework
What is a record?
Other key definitions
Records - information - knowledge
The broader framework for electronic records strategies
The intended audience for policies and guidelines

The issues

Records management system design and creation
Management and maintenance of electronic records
Preservation of electronic records
Access

Conclusion
Issues for consideration- consolidated list

Executive summary

Records are increasingly being created, stored and managed electronically. The tools which enable this are extremely versatile and confer major benefits. Electronic records can be created and managed rapidly; they can be found quickly and related easily to other information as part of an organisation’s knowledge; and in their compact format they are no longer a bulky accommodation problem. However, this versatility also contains substantial risks to effective management of such records. They often lack the clearly organised structure usually present in traditional format records, and their very format lacks durability.

The State Records Act 1997 makes no distinction between formats in defining responsibilities for all official records in South Australia. Policies formulated for electronic records need also to relate to a broad strategy of linking the various facets of information and communication together. In this wider context, however, understanding the evidential nature of a record (as distinct from a document) is critical, and a matter which requires particular attention for electronic records.

There are four major issues to be considered:

• Electronic records have been the catalyst for a general realisation that the design of record-keeping systems, and defining what records they should capture, need to be addressed if important records of Government are to survive. Techniques for identifying which records have short and long-term value will need to change.
• Managing and maintaining electronic records requires standards and advice from State Records. But agencies have obligations too - particularly in ensuring that disposal is properly authorised. The volatile nature of the platforms which create electronic records requires agencies themselves to ensure that records are migrated across systems in ways which ensure the evidential quality of records is kept intact.
• State Records is the principal repository for official records no longer required for current administrative purposes. Transfer of custody from agencies is normally compulsory after fifteen years. The role of ensuring long-term preservation to records of permanent value by actual physical custody of such records is one which may need to change with electronic records. The question of who can manage, and store, such records most effectively needs to be addressed.
• With electronic records, access can be managed online, and not require a visit to a public reading room. In such an environment, the nature of controls needed to assure the integrity of the record, the security of other records, protection of personal privacy and other inappropriate disclosures all need to be resolved - and the respective roles of agencies creating the records and State Records.

Electronic records are a key component in the performance of its functions by the South Australian Government. So such records need to be managed well.